Method of operating coke ovens



B. KERNOHAN METHOD OF OPERATING COKE OVENS 7 Aug; w, 19% 5@,4

Filed Sept. 12, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WI' I'NESSESS Mfiwqv-Qmw Aug. 17, 1926.

' R. B. KERNOHAN METHOD OF OPERATING COKE OVEN S Filed Sept .7 12 1924 3 Sheets-Shet 2 wrrrursxssmzz ss v El II II II II II Aug? W 1926c 596,648

- IR. B. KERNOHAN METHOD OF OPERATING COKE OVENS Filed Sept. 12 192 s Sheet-Sheet s OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WITNESSESS INVENTOR W 03 13. M

of coke by apparatus Patented Aug. 17,, 1926.

- UNITED STATES ROBERT B. KERNOEAN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA...

METHOD OF OPERATING COKE OVENS.

Application filed September 12, 1924. Serial No. 737,298.

. In my co-pending United States patent applications Serial Nos. 529,849, 581,296 and 669,273 there are disclosed various forms of apparatus for coking coal in horizontal coke ovens, the several forms of apparatus being the same in that they include non-combustible cores each placed centrally in an oven during a coking operation and dividing the oven into two vertical compartments one on each side of the core.

In actual use of such apparatus heat has been applied to the side walls of an oven to cause the coking of coal placed in each of the oven compartments to proceed from the side walls toward the core, which, previous to the beginning of the coking operation, is sufiiciently cool to prevent coking of the coal fromproceeding from the core towards the oven side walls, and such use has demonstrated that the output of an oven may be increased at least-% over the output of the same oven without a central core. This is true regardless of the fact that the volume of coke produced in each coking operation is materially less than if the oven were not provided with a core. While such apparatus is notso limited, it is primarily intended for the production of coke which readily breaks up into lumps of a size particularly suitable for use in blast furnaces, such lumps being approximately four inches square.

This invention relates to the production such as disclosed in my said pending, applications, and the objects thereof are to provide a method of coking coal by such apparatus whereby the output of an oven may be still further increased, and a method whereby coke may be produced which readily breaks up into lumps smaller than blast furnace coke, that is to say into lumps of the size customarily described as domestic coke which is used extensively in furnaces for heating residences, oflice buildings and the like, in smiths forges, and in gas producers.

In the practice of this invention, the central core of a horizontal coke oven is heated prior to the coking operation to such an extent that, when coal is placed in the oven compartments on opposite sides of the core, coking will, by reason of the heat stored in the core, proceed from the core toward the oven side walls. Simultaneously therewith coking proceeds from the sidewalls of the oven towards the core, either by heat previously stored in the oven side walls or by the line by heat applied to the walls and by reason of the coking operation thus proceeding simultaneously from the core and the'oven side walls a vertical plane of cleavage is formed at the center, or substantially the center, of the coke in each compartment. Upon the discharge of the coke from the compartments, it readily breaks up into lumps of a size substantially the same as one-half the width of each coking compartment.

Heat may be stored in the core in various ways prior to a coking operation. For example, a core-heating furnace may be provided for storing heat in a plurality of cores for use as required in one or another of a bank of ovens, a core being transferred from the heating furnace to an oven before it is charged with coal. Preferably, however, each core is heated in the oven in which it is used prior to the charging of the oven with coal. 7 This heating of a core in an oven may be effectedv in various ways, but is preferably done by heat applied to the side walls of the oven in the same manner as heat is applied'to the walls to effect the coking of coal in the oven. I

As previously indicated, the coking operation proceeding from the side walls towards the core may be effected by heat stored, in.

the walls, or by heat applied to them. The latter is the preferable manner of practicing the invention. Therefore the improved method preferably comprises heating a core by. applying heat to the side walls of an oven while the core is in the oven and before coal is charged into the oven, then placing coal in each compartment ofthe oven on opposite sides of the core, and then applying further heat to the side walls whereby the coking operation proceeds from the core towards the walls of the oven by the heat stored in the core, and from the oven walls towards the core by heat applied to the oven walls, and vertical planes of cleavage are formed in each body of coke'substantially at its center.

The invention may be further explained and fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1' is a vertical sectional view through a horizontal coke oven, the plane of view being indicated T-I, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 a horizontal sectional view through the oven, the plane of view being indicated generally by the line II-II, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a diagrammatic plan view of a bank of horizontal coke ovens,

and of several units of apparatus associated with it; and Fig. 4 a vertical central sectional view taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3, illustrating diagrammatically the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Having reference first to Figs. 1 and 2, they show a horizontal coke oven having side walls 1 and 2 and provided cent-rally with a non-combustible core 3 which may be formed of a plurality of interlocked or interconnected refractory blocks such as dis closed in my above mentioned patent applications. Formed in part by the side walls of the oven, there are combustion chambers to which the gaseous fuel may be supplied by burners 4 extending from fuel conduits 5, and to which heated air for supporting combustion may be supplied through suitable ports 6 which communicate with regenerators 7 In the preferred practice of the invention the core 3 is placed centrally between the oven walls 1 and 2 and heat is stored in it by heating the side walls by means of burners 4. After sufficient heat has been stored in the core to properly coke a body of coal of about half the thickness of the chambers formed by and between the core and oven walls, coal is charged into the oven in the usual manner so that it fills the coking chambers to about the height of the core. Combustion is thenpreferably continued in the combustion, chambers for the purpose of further applying heat to the side walls to cause coking to proceed from the side walls toward the core. When the coking operation is completed in the manner previously explained, vertical planes of cleavage, generally indicated at 8 in Figs. 1 and 2, are formed in the coke in a manner well known to those familiar with the art.

At the end of a coking operation the coke may be dischargedfrom the oven by a suitable pusher, which also preferably removes the core at the same time. Apparatus for this purpose is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, which show pushing apparatus 9 of familiar construction arranged for travel adjacent to one end of a bank of ovens 10 and provided with a reciprocable pushing head 15. When the oven is discharged the coke is directed to a quenching car 11 by means of-a coke guide 12, and the core is received by a carriage 14. For again drawing the core in an oven, the pusher head 15 may be provided with suitable coreengaging members 16.

If it is desired to heat the cores in a heating furnace, such furnace, nerally indicated at 17, may be arranged adjacent to the outer end of core carriage 14, and the core carriage may be provided with a suitable trolley 18 for placing cores into and removing them from the furnace. The heating furnace may be of any preferredform of construction, it being diagrammaticall represented in Fig. 4 as being provid with burners 19 communicatng with a fuel gas main 20. The core may be maintained in the heated furnace until suflicient heat is stored in it to perform the cooking operation previously explained.

The apparatus for moving the cores in the manner explained, and which is herein diagrammatically represented is fully shown in my above mentioned patent application Serial No. 669,273 and therefore need not be further disclosed herein.

When the process is practiced by the use of a core heated in a furnace or by some other instrumentality other than a cote oven, the procedure is the same, after a heated core has been placed in an oven, as has been previously explained. In other words, after the heated core is placed in the oven, the oven is charged with coal and the coking operation proceeds from the core towards the oven walls and from the walls towards the core, causing vertical planes of cleavage to be formed in the bodies of coke in the two compartments substantially at their centers.

By using an ordinary or standard type of horizontal coke oven having an average width of about 19 inches, and by using a non-combustible -core having an average width of about 13 inches,.coking chambers of about 3 inches in width may be formed on each side of the core. lVith apparatus of these dimensions, which are given by way of example and not of limitation, the vertical planes of cleavage formed in the coke divide each bodypf coke into layers of about 1 inches in width, which is approximately the desired size of domestic coke. Because coking proceeds simultaneously from the core and the oven side walls towards the center of each body of coal, the coking operation is completed in a much shorter time than when coking proceeds only from the side walls towards the core. Therefore the output of an" oven is greatly increased, and at the same time coke is produced which readily breaks up into lumps of a size about half the width.

of each compartment. As to the increase in output, it requires less than half as much time to perform thecoking operation according to the method herein disclosed than is required if coking proceeds only from'f-the side walls towards the core, because, as is well understood by those skilled in the art, coking progresses from a heated wall at a retarded rate.

According to the rovisions of the patent statutes, I have exp ained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated its mode of operation with reference to drawings of apparatus onwhich it may be practiced. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the the invention may be practiced otherwise than as s cifically described and illustrated herein. the invention has been described with particular reference to the production of small size coke, such as domestic coke, I desire to have it understood that, in its broader aspects, the invention is not limited to the production of coke of any particular size.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of operating a horizontal coke oven provided centrally with a noncombustible core which divides the oven into two vertical compartments, which consists in simultaneously causing coking of coal placed in said compartments to proceed from the core toward the side walls of the oven by heat previously stored in the core, and from the oven side walls toward the core by heat from said walls, whereby vertical planes of cleavage are formed in each body of coke in the compartments.

2. The method of operating a horizontal coke oven provided centrally with a noncombustible core which divides the oven into two vertical compartments, which consists in storing coking heat in the core prior to the coking operation, then placing coal in each compartment of the oven on opposite sides of the core, and then heating the oven side walls, whereby coking of the coal then proceeds from the core towards the side walls of the oven by the heat stored in the core, and from the oven side walls toward the coreby the heat applied to said walls, and vertical planes of cleavage are formed in each body of coke in the compartment.

3. The method of operating a horizontal coke oven provided centrally with a noncombustible core which divides the oven into two vertical compartments, which consists in storing the coking heat in the core while the core isin the oven and prior to the coking operation, then placing coal in each compartment of the oven on opposite sides of the urthermore, while core, and then applying heat to the oven side walls, whereby coking of the coal then proceeds from the core towards the side walls of the oven by the heat stored in the core and from the oven side walls toward the core by the heat applied to said walls, and vertical planes of cleavage are formed in each body of coke in the compartments.

4. The method of operating a horizontal coke oven provided centrally with a noncombustible core which divides the oven into two vertical compartments, which consists in applying heat to the side walls of the oven while the core is in the oven and before coal is charged into the oven and thereby storing the coking heat in the core, and then placing coal in each compartment of the oven on opposite sides of the core, whereby coking of the coal then proceeds from the core towards the side walls, of the oven by the heat stored in the core, and from the sidewalls of the oven towards the core, and vertical planes of cleavage are formed in each body of coke in the comparement.

5. The method of operating a horizontal coke oven provided centrally with a noncombustible core which divides the oven into two vertical compartments, which consists in applying heat to the oven walls while the core is in the oven, and before coal is charged into the oven and thereby storing coking heat in the core, then placing coal in each compartment of the oven on opposite sides of the core, and then applying heat to the v oven walls, whereby coking of the coal then proceeds from the coretowards the side walls of the oven by the heat stored in the core and from the oven side walls towards the core by the heat applied to said walls, and vertical planes of cleavage are formed in each body of coke in the compartments.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

ROBERT B. KERNOHAN. 

